# Diagnose my duckling **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007 "2015-07-02T00:37:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007/1 "2015-07-02T00:37:45Z")
We rescued a couple of abandoned ducklings 9 weeks ago and until recently they have been thriving. A few days ago, one of the ducklings abruptly stopped walking. He now drags himself along the ground and refuses to stand or walk. If you support his weight, he will reluctantly put his feet down and shuffle along. He continues to enjoy swimming and will dive, etc. Any idea what could cause this or what we can do to help? We put niacin in their food and water, and feed them Mazuri waterfowl starter. I hate to see the little bugger struggling so much ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007/2 "2015-07-02T01:21:00Z")
I don’t know, but you should post this on the [backyardchickens.com](http://backyardchickens.com) forum. They have an active member base and are more likely to have an answer for you. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007/3 "2015-07-02T02:01:57Z")
Are they on a pond? Botulism is pretty common in ducks and can cause profound weakness of the legs and/or neck, hence the common name “limber neck”. [http://www.wcsv.org/education/diseases/duck-botulism/](http://www.wcsv.org/education/diseases/duck-botulism/) ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007/4 "2015-07-02T02:10:33Z")
Thanks **Renee** - I’ve searched through those forums but not really found an answer. **kayaker** - they do not live in a pond, they are mostly indoors right now. The duck’s legs don’t seem to be paralyzed (he will move them, and uses them extensively while swimming), he just doesn’t want to put weight on them. Wings, neck, etc. seem to be working normally. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007/5 "2015-07-02T02:17:54Z")
They also get food poisoning from seeking out bits of spoiled food, and they’re a lot better at finding it than people are. We lost a handful of ducklings that way when I was young, and we didn’t live on a lake either. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007/6 "2015-07-02T06:05:02Z")
Are you in the US? Were the ducklings wild birds? If so, you’re breaking the law to possess them - they are protected under the Migratory Bird Act. And if one is ill or injured, that’s just another reason you should contact your local qualified [wildlife rehabilitation facility](http://www.nwrawildlife.org/content/finding-rehabilitator). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-duckling/724007/7 "2015-07-02T07:05:02Z")
Delicious?